Keeping your baby cool in hot or sunny weather

It’s essential that you keep your baby cool during hot weather. Exposure to sunlight, especially early afternoon or summer sunshine (which is very powerful), can cause a range of complaints such as sunburn, heatstroke, heat rash; and also raises the risk of skin cancer in adulthood.

If you need to go out in the sun, ensure your child is wearing a sunhat and a high SPF sunscreen. If your child is fair-skinned, you must be especially vigilant about her exposure to sunlight as the harmful rays will have more effect on her skin than it would for darker-skinned children. In spite of this, all babies and children should be adequately protected and ideally not exposed to too much sun, so seek shade wherever possible. Ideally your baby’s skin should be covered, but without too many layers. The fabric your baby wears is extremely important – pure cotton will be cooler than synthetics.

Make certain your baby has a good supply of cooled, boiled water that you can give her to keep her hydrated. With an older baby, you can give pieces of thirst-quenching fruit, such as melon. Babies may not feel like eating much in the heat, so fruit and yogurt should suffice until it cools down.

Even when it is not very hot or even especially sunny, the UV rays from the light can still harm, so ensure you make these changes as a lifestyle change rather than just a short-term experiment. Here’s gurgle’s checklist for spending time in the sun:

• Sun hat

• High SPF sunscreen.

• Stroller sunshade.

• Plenty of cooled, boiled water.

• Lightweight clothes.

• Shady spot to sit in.

If you don’t follow these guidelines your baby could get sunburn. This is very painful for a small baby and raises your child’s risk of skin cancer in adulthood. In some cases, if the baby or child has been exposed for a long time to the sun without adequate protection or sufficient fluids, he may develop heatstroke. This is a dangerous condition where a baby can’t regulate his temperature. Symptoms to watch out for are your baby’s pulse rate rising, drowsiness, and lack of response. In extreme cases, your baby could lose consciousness or even stop breathing (go to our video first aid: what to do if your baby stops breathing for further advice on this situation).

If you think your baby many have heatstroke or he’s exhibiting signs of dehydration, take him to the ER straightaway. For more tips, watch the gurgle video on keeping your baby cool in hot weather.

The information on this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.

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Last Modified: 20/06/2007

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